Kaiden Guhle’s veteran-like performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs last Monday made fans and observers salivate, in addition to inspiring comparisons and predictions of all kinds about the promising prospect.
TVA Sports journalists Anthony Martineau and Nicolas Cloutier got wet on Wednesday during their “Les Recrues” segment on the show JiC. The exact question they answered was, “What kind of current NHL defenseman will Guhle look like?”
Cloutier was the first to speak out. His choice? Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes.
“They basically have the same build,” the journalist began. Guhle is 6’3 “, the other is 6’2”. And in their draft year, Guhle, it was 40 points in 64 games played against 49 in 62 for Chychrun, but both scored as many goals. [11].»
Chychrun, however, has just had a great offensive season with the Coyotes, who recorded 41 points, including 18 goals, in 56 games. A difficult feat for a defender in a shortened campaign.
“Chychrun is probably more offensive,” Cloutier conceded. But these are two gym animals who can spend half a game on the ice. ”
The TVA Sports journalist ended by teasing his colleague, who fills his jacket well.
“The two eat minutes to the rhythm that Martineau puts on the whole chickens after training!”
Guhle: talent and robustness
A little taken aback by the comment, Anthony Martineau ended up continuing with his reply.
“True that the templates are similar, he admitted. True that the statistics are too. But Guhle hits a lot more than Chychrun. As for the physical aspect, it reminds me a lot more of Darnell Nurse, who is a horse.
“Trevor Timmins, the day after the draft, said: Guhle is a guy who can eat a lot of minutes, a guy who can have plenty of ice cream. Darnell Nurse, I remind you one thing, it’s 62 minutes of ice time in a game last May.
“Beyond all this Nurse is mean (mean) on the ice rink. He’s a guy who excels in raising. I think the hybrid between physicality and attacking play is more similar between Nurse and Guhle than between Guhle and Chychrun. ”
However, Nurse is part of the elite of the circuit, according to the monstrous contract with an average annual value of $ 9.25 million he signed in August. Such a comparison thus makes Nicolas Cloutier more cautious.
“I am uncomfortable comparing Guhle to a guy who could have been a candidate for the Norris last year. Nurse, he’s a hell of a defender, look at the contract he was given. I think going a little tick below, more cautiously, with Chychrun is a bit more appropriate. ”
Martineau insisted: Guhle’s physical involvement is more comparable to that of Nurse.
“Chychrun doesn’t knock. Last year, he hit 59 hits, compared to Nurse’s 117. ”
Cloutier, he was of the opinion that the physical implication of a defender is not limited to this statistic.
“Yeah, he’s knocking! It’s another time zone, I imagine you haven’t seen the Coyotes games, ”he quipped.
JiC’s fiery prediction!
The obstinate host Jean-Charles Lajoie then jumped into the fray to ignite the set with a bold statement.
“You are sulking your pleasure. Kaiden Guhle is downright a Victor Hedman in force 7/10! By his way of behaving on the ice, of cutting it, of saving himself, of hitting when it is time, of playing his stick when it is time, of supporting the attack when it is time to go. It’s time to have an excellent first pass … He’s doing everything right!
“It’s a Victor Hedman 7/10 insofar as Hedman is a 10/10!”
An intervention that left the two young journalists speechless.
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